Coleman’s lead over Franken now down to … two votes

posted at 8:31 pm on December 18, 2008 by Allahpundit

So says the AP; the Strib puts it at five. Either way, the distinguished gentleman from Saturday Night Live is within single digits of the Senate. Between this and the fait accompli of Caroline Kennedy’s appointment, we’re on the brink of a perfect ending to an utterly wretched year. Let’s get on with it. All we’re doing is delaying a court battle anyway.

Sen. Norm Coleman saw his lead over Al Franken in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race dwindle to just two votes Thursday. Meanwhile, a key court ruling put hundreds of improperly rejected ballots in play and promised the recount would drag into the new year…

Coleman’s lead eroded all day Thursday as the Canvassing Board considered a pile of challenges brought entirely by the Coleman campaign. The pile included a big chunk of withdrawn challenges, many of which went quickly to Franken’s column.

The “key court ruling” is the Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision to count 1,600 absentee ballots that had been rejected. Who knows? By the time this is done, Stuart Smalley might lead by four digits. Exit question: What will Franken’s lead be by the end of business tomorrow? There’s no doubt he’ll be ahead. All we’re talking is margin.

The American free election system has been compromised. With organizations such as ACORN destroying the integrity of our system, and this embarrassing display taking place in Minnesota, it simply destroys what faith I had left.

I don’t know why the Dems even let him run to begin with. Is there any doubt that any other Dem besides Franken would have won this Senate seat with a large margin? Why did they even take a chance? terry ann

Because Progressives now dominate the Democratic Party and they are ruthless power-lusters devoid of even the metal shavings of a conscience, therefore willing to risk everything to remake the country in the image of their beliefs.

Hey, I may live in MN but I won’t let people blame me, or insult me. I did what any strong hearted conservative would do, I did vote the way I had to…. republican. But, I’m not on welfare, I’m not an illegal alien, and I’m not from Somalia, Mexico or any Islamic country either. What fricken chance did I have?…. WOLVERINES!

I’ve been there, done that people. Would prefer not to see this happen again to us. Free advice:

#1. Find a good communicator, do it now. We had Mary Lane (now Mary Strow) and quickly branded her as “Marummy, Secretary of Defense for the State of Washington” because every time SecDef Marummy spoke… it was the truth to defend our vote.

Aren’t liberals always talking about how divisive us conservatives are? Al Franken is divisive. Shouldn’t you equally be upset at the partisans on the left side of the aisle as you are with the divisive partisans on the right side.

The American free election system has been compromised. With organizations such as ACORN destroying the integrity of our system, and this embarrassing display taking place in Minnesota, it simply destroys what faith I had left.

Aren’t liberals always talking about how divisive us conservatives are? Al Franken is divisive. Shouldn’t you equally be upset at the partisans on the left side of the aisle as you are with the divisive partisans on the right side.

terryannonline on December 18, 2008 at 11:01 PM

Indeed. But Obama just picked Rick Warren, so I got my fair share of divisiveness in the last day.

This has to be the most transparent recount ever. All the canvasing board meetings have been on video, all the challenged ballots have been posted on the Sec’y of State’s website, and BOTH Franken and Coleman seem to want to have those absentee ballots counted (publicly at least).

I have failed to obtain one of those bumper stickers that inform other drivers that in the event of the rapture my car will no longer be under human control. My car will, in fact, become an unmanned heathen killing machine.

Watch out heathens!

I’ll have to look at the Bible again to see if Franken is specially mentioned, but no matter…the end is nigh!

Dorvillian on December 18, 2008 at 8:39 PM

Im amazed so many Christians believe in that “rapture” tripe. I’ll state this unequivocally, Christ will not be returning in a rocketship with your name on it so that you all can blast off to Mars, put on some binoculars, grab some popcorn, and watch uncle jim and aunt betty on earth screaming in pain from the flamethrower that Nikolai the antichrist will be blasting against humanity. Aint gonna happen.

Your supposed to be working the field not hiding in some colony on the moon laughing at the rest of us here on earth having to deal with Nikolai.

Im amazed so many Christians believe in that “rapture” tripe. I’ll state this unequivocally, Christ will not be returning in a rocketship with your name on it so that you all can blast off to Mars, put on some binoculars, grab some popcorn, and watch uncle jim and aunt betty on earth screaming in pain from the flamethrower that Nikolai the antichrist will be blasting against humanity. Aint gonna happen.

Your supposed to be working the field not hiding in some colony on the moon laughing at the rest of us here on earth having to deal with Nikolai.

True_King on December 18, 2008 at 11:15 PM

could there be a more simplistic, wrong representation of the rapture than you just provided? I think not.

This has to be the most transparent recount ever. All the canvasing board meetings have been on video, all the challenged ballots have been posted on the Sec’y of State’s website, and BOTH Franken and Coleman seem to want to have those absentee ballots counted (publicly at least).

Just because the wrong person wins, that doesn’t make it fraudulent.

YYZ on December 18, 2008 at 11:14 PM

Sorry, but when votes in blocks of 100 here and there are being pulled out of someone’s ass after the fact, and they’re all for the same candidate, it sounds fraudulent to me.

Would love to be a reporter in the first Franken news conference after his “win”.

“So, sir, how does it feel to have won such a hotly contested election through fraud, deceit and ballot-box stuffing?” … and follow-up question, “Do you think that your narrow margin of fraudulent victory and its taint on the electoral process will affect your ability to be taken seriously as a US Senator?”

The state of MN is full of star struck rubes. Case in point: One of the members of the Supreme Court (Alan Page) was elected due to his pass rushing skills. The former member of the Minnesota Vikings is an arrogant jerk who spent about 3 weeks as a lawyer before running for the court. Of course the dim-witted squareheads up here elected him.

Remember that in future when the Senate has a filibuster majority of Dems and you see a flurry of things happen that make your stomach turn. Hell, they don’t need 60 Dems, they already have a pocketful of asshat RINO’s to work with – but every additional one makes it easier. Coleman may be lackluster in your opinion, but there’s a big difference; stop pissing on it.

Yes he endorsed Prop 8 but that doesn’t make him a partisan hack. I consider a partisan someone who is out humiliate and denigrate someone on the other side of the political spectrum. Do you have any examples of Warren trying to do that?

What the Strib didn’t highlight was the real heart of Sen. Coleman’s lawsuit. The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that there would be uniformity from county to county in determining which which ballots go into the infamous “fifth pile.”

Anyone pretending to know this recount’s outcome is kidding themselves. That’s why Minnesota’s coservative bloggers are ignoring what the outsiders are saying about the race.

Yes he endorsed Prop 8 but that doesn’t make him a partisan hack. I consider a partisan someone who is out humiliate and denigrate someone on the other side of the political spectrum. Do you have any examples of Warren trying to do that?

terryannonline on December 18, 2008 at 11:48 PM

I believe the discussion centered around divisive figures.

I’m tempted to ask you about cases where Al Franken has tried to humiliate and denigrate someone on the other side of the spectrum. Should I?

Well, in spite of my Northern-Southern snark earlier, that’s going a tad too far. I’m from Tennessee, and hey, we sent Al Gore to the Senate. What’s that tell you? Every state can sometimes have an overabundance of idiots.

That’s why we built the Northstar metro choo choo train, so self-absorbed Lake Calhoun liberals could feel just like big-city New Yorkers.

Um, no. You seem to be confusing the Hiawatha light rail line with the Northstar commuter rail for starters. Considering that Lake Calhoun is nowhere near either, I can only conclude that your geographic knowledge of the Twin Cities is limited to you own ass. Assuming you can find it with both hands and a flashlight, that is.

Gosh, I’d like to think that Ed Morrissey would defend the integrity of his home state’s election process. But I suppose I shouldn’t hold my breath.

starfleet_dude on December 18, 2008 at 11:37 PM

Approval, sir, in my opinion, demands the attainment of perfection. And in that sense, you rather overrate the charms of that state’s election process. I’faith, for one thing, it does seem monstrous slow and ill at counting for any society, even a backward one.

I consider a partisan someone who is out humiliate and denigrate someone on the other side of the political spectrum….
terryannonline on December 18, 2008 at 11:48 PM

Gosh, that leaves even me as a nonpartisan and I wave the GOP colors :-).
That said, Pastor Warren deserves better than the smears. Obama is more and more becoming Bush, Term III (or we’re being fooled).

Anyone pretending to know this recount’s outcome is kidding themselves. That’s why Minnesota’s coservative bloggers are ignoring what the outsiders are saying about the race.

LFRGary on December 18, 2008 at 11:52 PM

Y’all should listen to Gary. He’s been all over this from the beginning and he is one of the very best conservative bloggers in Minnesota. Click on the link on his post here and read his blog and see for yourself.

While I don’t think the original poster about the rapture intended it to be taken literally, I do agree that the “rapture” thing is hard to swallow.

I am, well, I’d like to think I am, a serious student of the bible. I try. I love the Lord. But, it is important for believers to not merely listen to the findings and interpretations of biblical texts which have only been recently (within church history) “revealed.” It is sure comforting to think that the church will be raptured before the tribulation of the saints, but, from what I’ve read and the vast majority of church fathers and teachers have consistently believed, is that the church will not be exempt from the tribulation and, although we will not suffer from the distinct bowls of God’s wrath, we will be persecuted. Any purveyor of history can see that Christians have been martyred. Now, more than ever before, Christians are killed or marginalized for their faith (mostly by Islam.) The history of the rapture theory is very, very young and was orignally from a Scottish woman (I believe) named Margaret Macdonald. It was privately recorded and then snuck its way into our current understanding of eschatology in the (wealthy) west. It is SO IMPORTANT for us to have a sober understanding of church history. This pretty much excludes Tim LaHaye and his “Left Behind” series. While there are serious scholars now who subscribe to the Rapture theory, many do not and MOST thoughout the ages of church history only saw ONE coming of Christ at the end, not two. This convolution of comings and goings is, in my opinion, borderline “extrabiblical” and all of us need to be prepared to “work the fields” and tell the good news in season and out.

Whether we go up then or now, brothers and sisters in Christ ARE enduring the tribulation in their lives…beheadings, burnings, underground churches. It just hasn’t touched us yet…pray and help them.

There was a cultural mandate given in Genesis which occured even after the fall. It was to go out and reproduce, to make cultures, to subdue the land, to build infrastructure and government…and, ultimately, to worship God our Maker and, with the coming of Christ, to declare the good news. None of this has changed. We have work to do here and speculating on when and how He will come is not only NOT detailed in the bible, but, it is counter productive.

This, all coming from someone uber freaked out about all things apocalyptic, so, take it as you will.

Personally, I call him a hideously ugly, depraved and lonely clown who happens to have equally ugly and depraved, albeit rich, people funding him and this piracy of an electoral process.

The people cry out for a King. Well, they now have their rulers. Enjoy your victory. One day, every action will be laid bare and one will wish they had been honorable in life. It is a good thing to have hope in one who will repay those who do such things…one day.

Personally, I call him a hideously ugly, depraved and lonely clown who happens to have equally ugly and depraved, albeit rich, people funding him and this piracy of an electoral process.

The people cry out for a King. Well, they now have their rulers. Enjoy your victory. One day, every action will be laid bare and one will wish they had been honorable in life. It is a good thing to have hope in one who will repay those who do such things…one day.

Mommypundit on December 19, 2008 at 9:01 AM
————
You really need to take a happy pill.

Well stated.It is the only solace that we have here in MN that, just as was done when Ventura was Governor, the idiocy of those who voted for said charlatan were found to be chagrined. It will happen this time should Franken prevail, which is still not assured. The arrogance and elitist comments already being spouted by those happy with this scenario so far will be met with a punch in the mouth. Take your Minnesota nice… Canuck!

Chalk another victory up for the Democrats. They deserve it. They are bold, outgoing, and loquacious characters. Contrast them with the whiney, fearmongering, butt-kissing “leaders” coming out of the GOP. Bush Administration officials literally genuflecting in front of a sarcasting, smirking Nancy Pelosi. That’s all you need to know.

Damn, at this rate the best shot against Franken is him being arrested for tax fraud and corruption. (Yeah like that’s going to happen.) So who wants to update wikipedia to correctly point out Minnesota is no longer a state? (Since it doesn’t deserve it.)

Damn, at this rate the best shot against Franken is him being arrested for tax fraud and corruption. (Yeah like that’s going to happen.) So who wants to update wikipedia to correctly point out Minnesota is no longer a state? (Since it doesn’t deserve it.)

Give him a year or two. I mean he’s already had scandals involving tax cheating and stealing from kids. Imagine how many he’ll rob after he gets in. (Admittedly he already has the lying part of the business down. He’s got at least 2 books proving he can BS with the best of them.)

Our good Bishop is pretty defensive about the idiocies in Minnesota. Yes, we have them in California, see yesterday’s tax hike, wait, it was just (unconstitutional) fees, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts – but why excuse any in Minnesota? You get the ‘leaders’ you deserve – we all do.

Fools……………… all.

Seven Percent Solution on December 18, 2008 at 9:56 PM

The fools are us. Not one was thrown out in the recent election in Calif. and they’re raping the voters. Must be masochists, most of them. Enjoy.

Nah. It’s Christmas and I have a handsome husband, two gorgeous kids, a Savior in heaven, money, food, parties to attend and plan, and plenty of friends. I come here for even more kicks. But, thanks for the concern, friend. Merry Christmas!